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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · rash · perch · band · face · mate · mouse · march

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — a series
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — the month
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. band — a music group
  14. face — to confront
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com